Engine preheater



May 29, 1923.

J. GOOD ENGINE PREHEATER Original Filed Feb. 14. 1918 l/VVEIVTUR ATTORNEY Patented a... 29, 1923.

UNITED sra'rns JOHN GOOD, GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK,

ASSIGNOR TO GOOD IN'VENTIOiNS 00., OF

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ENGINE PREHEATEE.

Application filed February 14, 1918, Serial No. 217,066. Renewed July 2t), 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Goon, United States citizen, residing in Garden Cit Long Island, N. Y., have invented the fo lowing described Improvements in Engine Preheaters. 4

The invention consists in an organization of means for pre-heating internal combustion engines, particularly those used for antomotive urposes and consists in the combination therewith of burner mechanism and suitable control gear whereby a blast of flame or hot ases may be caused to pass into or throng the intake or interior passages of the engine for the purpose of preheating them and thereby putting the engine in a condition to operate wit its normal elliciency.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 represents partly in section and partly in diagram a preferred exemplification of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a detail plan.

The header and intake pipe 1 shown on the engine outlined in the drawing may be assumed for the urposes of this description to be the norma inlet for the carburetted mixture of fuel and air, although within this invention it might be an inlet for air only. It is connected to the casing 2 of a structure which may. function both as a carburetor and a burner and which comprises a fan 3 adapted to take air from atmos here through an inlet 4 and deliver it to t e intake, partly throu h a choke or Venturi tube 5 and partly t rough the airdistributing holes 6. When the structure functions as a carburetor the fan is or may be stationary and the engine suction draws air through it into the intake. That part of the air which passes through the tube 5 serves to aspirate liquid fuel from the nozzle 7 and that art which asses around the choke and t rough the lioles 6 mixes with the other making therewith an ex sive mixture to go to the engine. A ditional airmay be admitted to this mixture from the auxiliary spring-loaded air valve 8 which opens by the increased suction effeet as customary in carburetor action. A throttle 9 operated b a throttle control rod 24 serves to control t 0 total flow and hence 1o regulate the speed of the engine. It will is apparent that with [proper relative roort1ons of the air an fuel passages ust Serial No. 486,188.

referred to the structure will function properly and efiiciently as a carburetor or chargeforming device and that it may have any of the usual a purtenances common to carburetors. T e fuel nozzle 7 derives its liquid fuel from a chamber 10 which is controlled by a float valve or otherwise to keep the li aid at a constant level and the surface 0 the liquid is kept at a pressure equal to that in the blower casing 2 through the pressure connection-indicated at 11.

The fan is driven by an electric motor 12 connected in the circuit of a battery which may be the usual starting battery of an automobile, and when set in operation forces air throu h the passages 5 and 6 into the intake. The part passing throu h the tube 5 takes up a spray of fuel li ui as before producing a mixture of suc proportions and condition as to be i itable by the spark pin 13 screwed into ti: wall'of the tube, whi e the air passing through the holes 6 mixes with the burning spra and is suitable in amount, by reason 0 the size and number of said holes, to support and complete the combustion without additional air and according to the principles explained in my prior application'Serial No. 195506. The motor switch 14 which closes the motor c rcuit to start the motor and blower in action, also closes the primary circuit of a spark coil which includes the usual interrupter 15 mounted on the motor shaft in the present case. The secondary of this coil is connected to the spark plug as indicated in the diagram. The said switch 14, which will be understood from the conventional representation on the drawing, is arran d to be operated by a lever or pedal 17 which may be assumed to be mounted on the dash -or footboard of an automobile and which is connected to the switch arm by a link 16. Through the switch arm 18 and the con nesting rod 19, the switch operates each of a series of bell crank: 20 engaged with the steps '21 of the valve stems and acting to lift the valves of the engine to an open ition when the switch is closed. It wi be understood that there is a bell crank lifter 20 for each valve of the engine (althou h only two are shown in the drawing) so at the closing of the switch not only sets the blower in operation but also opens a clear path from the intake through the engine cylinders and out through their exhaust ports. The combustion automatically set,up by the simultaneous operation of the fan and the igniting spark plug, proceeds in intensity according to the capacity and speed of the blower fan and the flame and combustion products follow the path opened through the engine, being entirely enclosed and confined thereto and thereby the flame serves to heat the engine in a most effective manner. Although more than a single spark ma not be necessary for the spark plug it 1s herein shown as operating continuously with the motor. The fuel nozzle is shown with an adjustable valve needle 22 which serves the purpose of regulation of the mixture for carburetor purposes and it is found that the same adjustment also serves Well for the burner functionprovided the total area of the air passages is properly related to the size of the fuel orifice and its elevation above the liquid level. The location of the spark between the spray and the zone of holes 6 avoids any tendency toward explosive effects. The tube 5 constitutes in effect a burner chamber and is desirably of the shape indicated although other shapes are also possible.

As a precaution against the possibility of the engine throttle 9 being closed when the blower is operating, the control gear includes an automaticthrottle opener operated by the same movement that closes the switch and opens the engine valve, and represented in the present case by the engagement of the switch arm 18 with an abutment collar 23 on the throttle rod 24. It will be seen that when the pedal 17 is pressed to close the switch, the arm 18 will engage the collar and push the throttle to a wide open position and keep it so as long as the combustion continues. The springs of the several valves acting through their bell crank lifters and the connecting rod 19 serve to restore the lifters when the pressure on the pedal 17 has been released and an attempt to close the throttle will manifest y restore the switch and pedal. After the switch has been restored the arm 18 will offer no obstruction to throttle manipulation.

In the operation of the system above described, the engine is prepared for running on its normal cycle by pressing down the pedal 17 and thereby forcing a strong current of burning gases through ,the intake pipe and the combustion space or spaces of the engine as above described. The pedal is held depressed for such period of time as will suffice to raise the engine temperature the desired amount whereupon the pedal is released and the engine turned over by the starting motor not shown or by hand. The cessation of the blower operation stops the forced combustion but leaves the structure which is now to function as a carburetor in a thoroughly heated condition thusfadapted to communicate the pressure 0 to give a well vaporized mixture on the first inspiration by the engine.

For convenience of illustration the several parts of the system are shown as though arranged in closeproximity and all on the same side of the engine but it will be ap parent that they will necessarily have to be adapted to various engine designs and for this reason the elements of the control gear as above described are to be taken only as representative of a mechanical relation which can be carried out in many different wags.

laims.

1. The combination with an internal combustion engine of means for coincidently openin its exhaust and intake valves'and means or forcing a heating medium through the path through the engine thereby provided.

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine having an intake and means for coincidentlyopening its intake and exhaust valves and means connected to said intake adapted to establish forced combustion through the same and the combustion spaces of the engine.

3. The combination in an internal combustion engine of a throttled engine intake, means for forcin flame into the same and automatic c-ontro ling gear for said means adapted to open the throttle when establishing combustion in said means.

4. The combination in an internal combustion engine of an engine intake, means for opening the engine valve, automatically igniting means for forcing burning fuel or hot combustion gases into said intake and controlling ar adapted to establish such when the va Va is open.

5. The combination of an internal combustion engine having an intake, a structure connected thereto adapted to function alternately as an engine carburetor and as a forced draft burner and including a blower, a spark plug, a motor to drive the blower and a source of current for operating the spark plug and motor.

6. The combination of an engine intake, of means for opening a passage throu h the same and an organization of parts inc udin a source of fluid ressure, connected wit said intake and a apted to function alternately as an engine carburetor and a forced drlzg-ft burner for internally heating said inta e.

7. In apparatus for the purpose described, an air and fuel mixing space, a source of air pressure and a fuel receptacle connected thereto, having a. vent alternatel adapted said air source and the pressure of atmosphere to the liquid fuel in said receptacle.

8. The combination in an internal cornbustion engine having a suction intake, of a device connected thereto adapted alternately to serve as suction-operated means for mixing fuel and air for combustion in the engine and for runnin the engine and as a burner operated b air pressure for burnin fuel within itself or starting the engine an means whereb said device may be caused to operate in eit er capacity.

9. The combination in an internal combustion engine having a suction intake, of a device connected thereto adapted to serve either as a suction-operated source of unburned fuel, or as a pressure-operated liquid fuel burner and means for supplying operating air pressure to said device to cause it to develop heat when starting the engine.

10. The combination in an internal combustion engine having a suction intake, of

a device cornected thereto adapted to serve either as a suction-operated source of unburned fuel, or as a pressure-operated liquid fuel burner and including an igniter, means for supplying operating pressure to said device to cause it to function as a burner and means for coincidently energizing the igniter.

11. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an intake passage, means for normally supplying the same with an unburned operating mixture of fuel and air, and means for forcing flame or hot flame products through the same and toward the engine.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

JOHN GOOD.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,456,980. granted May 29, 1923, upon the agplication of John Good, of Garden City, New York. for an improvement in ngine Preheaters, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 104, claim 4, 8. insert the word combwwtion; and that the said Letters Patent sho'uldbe read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record-of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 26th day of June, A. 1)., 1923.

[am] KARL FENNING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

